Of Arrows and Other Remnants of the Past
by bjames238
Summary: Day 6 of OQ FixItWeek for the prompt "Roni." A mysterious stranger shows up at Roni's bar with a token and a message from her past.


Roni was just about to close the bar for the night having had enough of drunks dressed in costume and using the holiday as an excuse to act like assholes when she turned to find someone sitting at the bar. They hadn't been there when she'd turned away from the bar - now they were. So much for an easy close.

"Um - hey. Can I help you?" The person - a young man with messy medium brown hair was seated with his head sloped down toward the bar. "Hello? You okay there?" Her mysterious customer didn't answer. She sighed, slightly frustrated. "Do I need to call you a cab? Or a Lyft?"

Silence was her only response. She crossed to the other side of the bar, peering around the young man's arms to catch a glimpse of him.

"I'm sorry but we're closing." She spoke again. The man lifted his head to look at her, regarding her with curious eyes. "Have we met?"

"This is just unreal." He laughed, a hint of a British accent tinging his words.

Roni wasn't in the mood for games, not today. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "Look, if there's something you want spit it out otherwise you need to leave."

"Oh this has nothing to do with what I want. Consider me a messenger really, a lowly courier delivering messages from the past. Something you lost once - or rather, it was lost before it could reach you."

Roni scoffed. "My past is the last thing I want to get into." She eyed him again. "And you really don't look old enough to be be from my past - or in my bar really. Especially this late at night."

He simply laughed, shaking his head. "Henry Mills is back in town, isn't he?"

Roni shifted her feet, narrowing her eyes. "You're up to something aren't you. You best not be working for that Victoria Belfrey bitch - or Weaver."

"Neither, milady." He shook his head, releasing a breath as he stood up. "Now, about that message - I'm not sure you're ready for it. I'd heard there was something strange going on in this town but hoped it would be wrong or fixed by now. No matter, I'm sure there'll be a second chance somewhere down the line."

Roni gaped at him, thoroughly confused and slightly annoyed. There was a glimmer of something familiar about him but it was just out of reach. Either way this whole thing was off-putting in a disturbing way. "I think it's time you leave. I didn't catch your name but you need to go."

"I'm going, don't you worry. And I didn't give my name. That would be giving it away and what fun is that really?" He smirked, looking around the room as he wandered back to the door. "You know, this is a really nice place Roni. I like all the arrows everywhere. Special meaning behind them, I take it?"

"Goodbye." Her voice was sharp, edged with the slightest tint of a warning. She hurried out from behind the bar, making her way to the door behind him but still kept her distance. Once he exited the building, she ran to the door and locked it tight. Letting out a deep breath, she rolled her eyes and set about finishing what she'd been trying to do before - close down for the night.

Later as she was going around the room wiping down tables and picking up chairs, she noticed something on the bar - near where the strange young man had been sitting. Dropping the rag down on a nearby table, she walked up to the item and picked it up.

It was a feather. Not from a bird or any other animal, no. It was clearly from the end of an old-fashioned arrow. Just the like the man, it sparked the tip of recognition in her but didn't go any further.

Raising an eyebrow, she pocketed the feather and went about her cleaning. The man had asked why all the arrows earlier. She hadn't responded but now it had her thinking about how she got this bar. It had been a gift from someone very special to her, her husband and soulmate. He was long gone now but she'd never forget the day he'd asked her to meet here. Outside, he had her close her eyes as he led her inside the empty building. When she finally opened them, there had been a sign propped up on a half-finished bar - a sign with her name in lights. The same sign that was now above the door outside. She'd looked at him with wide eyes, asking him what the hell was going on.

He told her he bought the bar for her like she'd always wanted - a place where they could bring the town together over a cold beer and easy conversation. She decorated it with arrows, the symbol always being somewhat of their thing together. He cleaned and fixed everything - including the bar and soon enough they would be open for business.

Unfortunately though, he never got to see the place open once. The night before they were to open, he'd been tragically murdered in a robbery at the liquor store where he was picking up some more supplies. It had been just her and the bar - Roni's - ever since.

This young man showing up out of the blue talking of her past - just hours after she'd talked to Henry about letting go of ghosts - was suspicious to say the least. And this arrow feather was strange too. She passed by the mantle where she kept a picture of her husband, kissing the tip of her finger and pressing against the glass. And as she shut of the lights and left for the night, she could still hear his voice in her ear the day he bought her the bar.

It was on her mind for days and days after, and months after that. She continued her routine, opening the bar every day and helping Henry and Rogers look into Victoria and Weaver. She helped the members of the town just like she always did - like _they_ had together when he was still alive, like he taught her. She pushed Henry and Jacinda closer together, sharing secret winks with Lucy and Sabine as they played "Operation Matchmaker" (the name was Lucy's idea) with the two lovebirds.

And then one day - it happened.

A wave of gold spread out through the town and just like magic, they all remembered. _She_ remembered. All of this was curse, a ploy to keep them all oblivious and busy while so much more was going on. She remembered her son - Henry - and Gold and Wish Hook. And Henry's family - Ella and Lucy. And there were others too, other people from Storybrooke and the Enchanted Forest and people from elsewhere too.

And then she pulled the arrow feather out of her pocket after forgetting about it for months and a fresh wave of memory and pain and hurt hit her all at once. The young man - could it have been Roland? But how….the feather? He'd said he had a message from her past - but what was it!? Besides reconnecting with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, she had a new mission now:

Find Roland and find out what the message was.

She had a feeling that whatever it was would change her life - again. For better or for worse she didn't have a clue, but Regina was always anything if not determined to seek out her happy ending. And with the edge of Roni still in her besides remnants of the Evil Queen, she was sure it wouldn't take long. She helped her son find his happy ending - it was time to find hers.

Time to find (another) second chance.

(not) the end.


End file.
